Are you going to retrofit an existing building or are you going to start with brick by brick to build your stables? In any case, as one of the most important components of a horse's life, the stable should strive to be adapted to the ecological needs of the horse.
If it is to renovate an existing house, the most popular way is to separate the interior. This method is relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain, while providing horses with a consistently mild climate and dry environment. If you are building a new stable, in addition to the traditional stable style, you can also consider the American barn or other suitable buildings, and try to raise horses in a natural way.
<h1>Stable type</h1>
Due to the difference in the breed, quantity and age of horses raised, and because of the relationship between construction materials, the stables can be roughly divided into the following categories.
Single-row stables: A horizontal row of horses lined up between the stables, with a passage on one side. Each stable can accommodate 20 horses.
Double stables: the stables are arranged in two opposite columns, with a channel in the middle. It is characterized by the large number of horses and is easy to manage.
Unified stables: The stables are not divided into horses, forming a large group stable, or divided into 2-8 large rooms.
Hybrid stables: a combination of the above two types of buildings, such as double row or unified type.
Floor stables: Save land and build two-storey stables.
<h1>Stable site selection</h1>
Good site selection facilitates stable management and provides a comfortable and safe environment for horses. Dry, flat and somewhat inclined places are ideal stable sites, while paying attention to avoiding the wind and the sun in the northern region, and facing the main wind direction in the summer in the southern region, but be sure to avoid direct solar radiation.
Before construction, we must fully consider the ancillary facilities of the stables, such as the forage storage room, the feed adjustment room, the saddle room, the breeder's lounge, the tool room, the hoof loading room, the injury and disease disposal room, etc. All kinds of ancillary facilities are required to be easy to use, not too far from the stables and safe and fireproof.
<h1>Electricity and water supply</h1>
Each stable must have a water valve electric gate, according to the specific situation can be set up in every 2 single rooms with a faucet. All power equipment must be out of reach of the horse, the lighting should be located in a place that can give maximum brightness, the outside of the lamp should be equipped with a protective device, and the switch should be anti-electric shock switch and located outside the stable. In daily work, we should pay attention to turning off water and electricity in time, overhauling hydropower equipment in time, preventing long lights or long flowing water, and trying to prevent problems before they occur.
<h1>Drainage system</h1>
The slightly outwardly sloping ground provides sufficient drainage capacity. However, the slope of the ground can not be too large, generally about 10-15 cm slope before and after high. Drainage pipes can be located at a corner away from the mangers, grass racks and doors, as far as possible outside the single room. Do not install drainage pipes in each single stable, which is not only unnecessary, but also easy to be blocked by horse bedding. At the same time, it is also particularly dangerous, easily cracking and trapping the horse's hoof. The roof is also best designed to be tilted a little to prevent water accumulation, and it is best to install drainage pipes to facilitate drainage.
<h1>Channel design</h1>
Careful design of the passage routes inside and around the stables is important to facilitate future work in the transport of horses, receiving bedding and hay, and cleaning up excrement. It is best to leave enough space in the stables to easily tow the horses where they are needed. In road planning, it is best to leave a certain space for the horsebox to facilitate the entry and exit of trailers and trucks. To sum up, the more convenient the stables are, the more convenient it is for those who are interested in horses to visit.
<h1>building material</h1>
If you are building stables from scratch, time and money are decisive factors for building materials. Needless to say, brick and tile buildings are stronger, but they are also more expensive and not as easy to correct as wooden structures. Wooden stables, of course, built by good builders, are not only sturdy and versatile, but also offer a very large space for choice. However, the wood structure must do a good job in other aspects of protection, such as fire resistance, insulation, etc., in order to enhance its durability.
<h1>Stables ground</h1>
If it's a new stable, then everything has to start from scratch, including the stable floor. The most affordable way is to build a stable directly on the dirt floor. But in the long run, after a long period of use and stampede, the dirt floor will be prone to slippery. But for flooring, the most important things are non-slip, waterproof and durable. Now the more popular is the cement floor, which is convenient for horses to lie down and rest and the cost is cheap. However, there are many disadvantages to cement flooring, such as the ground is too hard. At the same time, pay attention to making the cement surface rough, otherwise it will be easy to make people slippery.
Now more popular than cement flooring is rubber flooring. It is safe and non-slip, and can reduce injuries such as foot and foot bruises. In addition, because rubber flooring is warmer than cement flooring, it requires less bedding and can help reduce costs in the long run. There are many options for rubber flooring now, from seamless glue to simple solid glue to rubber stable mats.
<h1>Light and air</h1>
The most important thing for all stables is fresh air, which helps keep horses healthy away from colds and coughs. But it's important to find the right balance, as ventilation can easily keep the horse cold, or blow the horse's coat less neatly and beautifully. Therefore, it would be a good idea to keep the windows a little higher, especially in wooden stables, and consider opening the windows on the roof ridge to facilitate ventilation.
In addition, windows that are opened at height can also help improve the ventilation in the single stables. When it comes to windows, there may be many types, but either type has the effect of lighting and ventilation. At the same time, do not exclude ventilation facilities, which can maximize air circulation without increasing airflow. But when no ventilation is needed and light is needed, windows come in handy.
<h1>Outbuildings and facilities</h1>
Forage room:
The forage chamber should be separated from the stables to prevent dust from entering the stables or from being injured by fire. The forage room should be well ventilated, the ground is dry and moisture-proof, and the grass can be neatly stacked on the board and stone strips to separate the ground.
Saddle room:
The saddle room should be dry and moisture-proof, and the size should be able to hold all the necessary saddles and other items, and a fixed saddle rack or floor saddle cabinet should be set up.
Horse manure storage room:
The storage room should be away from the stables, but to be convenient for transportation, it is best to be located in the downwind of the stables, and it should not be too close to the hay room, let alone too close to the surrounding residents or sidewalks. Horse manure in the pond should be cleaned up frequently to prevent pollution of the surrounding environment.
Sports or leisure fields:
Horses are active by nature, so they need to have appropriate activities every day, even outside of normal tuning or training, their activities should not be restricted, and light activities are more conducive to eliminating fatigue than standing still. To this end, when building stables, full consideration should be given to the sports field of horses, and it is best to have 2 sports fields of different sizes. The small playground (i.e. the small sand circle) is circular, with a radius of about 5-10 meters, and the fence or fence should be strong, about 1.8 meters high, to prevent the horse from jumping out. Horses can be carried out in small sand rings during initial training. Conditionally, a training ring with an electric horse walking machine can be built, separated by a partition between each horse in the circle, and the size of the circle can be determined according to the needs, generally up to 4-6 horses, which can be used for auxiliary training of horses or training for some purpose.
<h1>Tips for creating the perfect stable</h1>
(1) Increase natural light and reduce electricity consumption. Windows are obviously the best option, but roofing solutions are also helpful.
(2) Consider the influence of temperature when choosing building materials. The stable should be warm in winter and cool in summer. Adding a film to the stables can improve its isolation, but don't choose materials such as tin or meteoric iron. These materials have the opposite effect, making the stables cold in winter and hot in summer, and increasing the likelihood of injury to horses. If you have any concerns, go consult an expert.
(3) Fire safety is an important factor that should be taken into account in all stables. Make sure you have the right fire extinguisher in places where you can easily reach them.
(4) Carefully inspect the site area, where do you plan to tie the horse, where to brush? Where are the peg rings, water pipes, and horseshoe placed?
(5) Horses need to be able to see the outside environment, so that the constant changes of people and things outside can provide freshness and prevent them from getting bored. Therefore, their visibility is improved by opening the door front and rear doors; whether it is a wooden door or a masonry door, the lattice window and internal grille should be designed on the door.
(6) Wooden doors are best equipped with metal protective frames, which can be more durable. Don't overlook all the important details, including the safety bolts of the doors, as well as the objects that are fitted with the bolts.
(7) If you can, put the water into the stable, which can also save you a lot of time and weight work. Automatic drinking water dispensers or feeding tanks can make our work lighter.
(8) Setting up a simple internal passage between the feed house and the harness warehouse can save our time and physical strength. The warehouse is neatly arranged with harnesses, horse coats, and accessories on grass racks and horse stakes to keep them in good performance condition.
(9) Finally, the most important thing for all new construction and renovation work is to make preparations. The better you prepare, the more rational the economic planning will be.
Article from Equestrian Magazine Compilation/Rong Zhang/Wind River
Some of the images originate from the Internet Copyright belongs to the original author